GUWAHATI, Jan 19 ? Bhutan?s Ambassador to India Lyonpo Dago Teshring today said that it was in the interest of both the South Asian neighbours to strengthen peace and stability in both Bhutan and Assam. He said there is scope for mutual operation between Bhutan and Assam.
Ambassador Teshring, who was speaking at the Rabindra Bhawan here this evening while attending the launch function of the Assam chapter of the Indo-Bhutan Friendship Association, said that Bhutan and Assam have common interests and common concerns. Refraining from commenting either on militancy in Assam or on the presence of ultra camps in Bhutan, the Ambassador said peace and stability will benefit Assam as well as Bhutan by fostering greater development. Speaking on the possible directions for mutual cooperation, Teshring said that starting of international flights to and from Guwahati could be beneficial for tourism in both Bhutan and the North-east. ?We must work together for tourism,? he said.
The Ambassador also said that the commissioning of new power projects in Bhutan which will leave it with an exportable surplus, will help states like Assam, West Bengal, Sikkim and even Bihar to draw power from Bhutan. ?I hope to see happier faces in the neighbouring States,? Teshring, who was also once the Home Minister of his country, said. ?We must work together, not against each other,? the Bhutanese Ambassador said while referring to the strong bonds of friendship between India and Bhutan. ?We have a good friend and a generous neighbour in India,? he said. India is Bhutan?s largest developing partner and it will continue to remain so, Teshring stated. The Ambassador said that the friendship between India and Bhutan can only move forward. ?We have a common view of the world,? he stressed.
Launching the Assam chapter of the association, State Industries Minister Bhubaneswar Kalita said that the friendship between India and Bhutan is ?timetested?. State Law and Power Minister Devananda Konwar said that the two countries share a common destiny. The launch ceremony was followed by a colourful cultural programme featuring cultural troupes from Assam and the Himalayan Kingdom.